Wiper motors

[TheBALDpuma]

Hi all. My front wipers will freeze on screen mid swipe. Then worth again. Then freeze again. Etc etc. They also judder a little with their movement.

Is this most likely a motor that's about to die completely? Or something else?

[GVK]

Hi all. My front wipers will freeze on screen mid swipe. Then worth again. Then freeze again. Etc etc. They also judder a little with their movement.

Is this most likely a motor that's about to die completely? Or something else?

Think @pudding had similar fault on his Mk5 can't remember his fix though.


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[mjmallia]

Sounds like the motor or linkage needs a service or replacement.

[Octoparrot]

Sounds like some teeth have stripped in the mechanism somewhere, could be due to trying to use wipers that have stuck to the screen by frost.

[ZoliWorks]

If both of them are freezing up or having issues moving in general, I'd get the wiper assembly replaced. You can pick up and test a scrapyard piece. The replacement itself is very easy on the mk5. I've had an issue on my mk4 where it barely moved. It could only move if unscrewed one wiper completely. The mechanism itself gets rusted or the motor burns out. Had the same thing happen on a A4B7. Replacing it on that was a pain in the ass tho cause everything is so tight.

[GreigC]

The spindles on the wiper linkages have seized. You can take them apart and grease the spindles. No need to replace the linkage or any parts.

Follow this guide.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o_Mlvf09k6s

Take a picture of the linkage assembly in the rest position before you remove it all from the car and refit using your picture you will thank yourself you did as it’s easy to refit it all and the wipers won’t move properly without the picture as reference unless your lucky.

[TheBALDpuma]

Thanks everyone for the responses

I'll give greasing the linkages a go!  I don't have any car grease at home - I have some mountain bike assemble grease, good enough?

[pudding]

Hi all. My front wipers will freeze on screen mid swipe. Then worth again. Then freeze again. Etc etc. They also judder a little with their movement.

Is this most likely a motor that's about to die completely? Or something else?

Think @pudding had similar fault on his Mk5 can't remember his fix though.

Yep. I'd be driving down the motorway at 535mph and they'd slow down, and then stop mid sweep, then work again as Baldy Puma man chap said.

I never got to the bottom of it as I sold the car before tackling it    It won't be the linkages etc, just a tired motor/controller.  The controller is built into the motor housing, so you can't replace bits separately. Has to be an entire motor unit swap out.  Not too bad a job, fiddly and have to get the extraction angle spot on to avoid gouging the paint off the scuttle area.

[GreigC]

On my 2009’ MK5 GTI my wipers initially went slow… then operated fine for a little while then slow again then eventually stopped/very slow. My first thoughts was the wiper motor… when I removed the linkage out the car I noticed it was seized. I went to my local garage with the linkage in my hand asking if they have seen this issue before… He said yes it’s the spindles they let in water and seize…he took whole linkage off my hands put it on a vice removed the spindles… cleaned the rust off spinals, cleaned it then greased the whole spindle shaft… he then showed me the linkage working perfectly again afterwards. In my case only one spindle that was seized.

It’s very easy to take out the car and refit but please take a picture of it before removal to save yourself the issue figuring out which way it goes back in. Do this with the wipers in the parked position. Otherwise it’s a bit of a faff figuring it out (wipers will move the wrong way on the windscreen or park in the wrong position)



Hope this helps.

[ZoliWorks]

Damn now I have 2 of these things laying at home. One from my mk4 backup vehicle and one from a friend's Audi. Should clean them up and re sell them honestly if it's that easy of a job